A training study, consisting of three treatment cycles for a total of nine 50-minute class sessions, was conducted to determine the combined effect of directed reading-thinking activity (DRTA) and conceptual mapping as organizational strategies for college freshmen of low writing ability. Each cycle included DRTA instruction, mapping, discussion,…

In a German study, students' descriptions of the processes in an electric circuit were related to the energy view as it is used in physics. (The representation of students' concepts describing the electric circuit is of importance because structured concepts may influence the perception and description of processes, the handling of electrical…

Describes the "Chemistry from Issues" project at Chelsea College. Provides the background information, rationale, and overall structure of a proposed course about the importance of chemistry to common culture. Outlines one module about the British steel industry that has been taught at King's College. (TW)

Recent work at infoDev (the World Bank) created a series of Knowledge Maps of what is known and what isn't about ICT use in education. These knowledge maps reveal that, despite a decade of large investment in ICTs to benefit education in OECD countries, and increasing use of ICTs in education in developing countries, important gaps remain in the…

The feasibility of using a computer-based networked collaborative concept mapping system to measure teamwork skills was studied. A concept map is a node-link-node representation of content, where the nodes represent concepts and links represent relationships between connected concepts. Teamwork processes were examined for a group concept mapping…

This symposium on human resource development (HRD) theory consists of three presentations. "The Real Debate: Who Does HRD Serve?" (Wendy E.A. Ruona) finds three distinctive sets of beliefs about who/what HRD serves, namely that HRD serves individuals, organizations, and multiple stakeholders. "Theorizing HRD" (Jim McGoldrick,…

Used concept maps and surveys to assess the effects of a multicultural education course on preservice teachers' cognitions. Found that Group B students' conceptualizations of effective teaching increased after the course, but other indicators showed that they did not actively reorganize their reconceptualization. Group A students exhibited the…

Concept mapping, a student-driven assessment tool, is used to compare student attitudes toward conventional school and the Community Environmental Leadership Programme (CELP), an integrated outdoor semester for 11th graders that develops community skills, environmental awareness, leadership, and responsibility. Although pre-CELP concept maps…

Described is a computer-based tool, SemNet, which can be used by good and poor students to facilitate, extend, and polish their learning skills. Emphasized are skills associated with meaningful or deep-level learning. The components, use, and theoretical background of the software are discussed. (CW)

Concept mapping is a structured conceptualization that can be used by groups to develop a conceptual framework that guides evaluation or planning. Twelve papers discuss concept mapping in evaluation/planning in terms of theory development; measurement, construct validity, and pattern matching; outcome assessment and internal validity;…

Concept mapping with "Learning Tool," a computerized mapping program, was used to assess changes in the content and organization of 17 preservice teachers' concept maps for the topic of effective teaching. This study illustrates how concept mapping can be useful in describing students' evolving constructions of knowledge in a particular…

Describes the "SemNet" software and some of its uses as an educational and research tool, with emphasis on the similarities and differences between concept mapping and semantic networking. (PR)

A review of the literature in science education shows that most students have difficulties in hypothetico-deductive reasoning. The author's objective in this study was to investigate the abilities of high school teachers and university teachers to understand the difference between the terms "hypothesis" and "prediction" in the…

Purpose: This research aimed to obtain insights into how farmers on small and medium-sized farms perceived the benefits of the information they receive from their interpersonal networks and other sources. Design/methodology/approach: Farmers' information environments were explored using socio-spatial knowledge networks, diaries and in-depth…

This article describes the outcome of an exercise carried out with one hundred undergraduate student teachers (preservice teachers) enrolled in a Biology Teaching Methods course, a third year course in a four-year Teacher Education Programme. The students, working in groups of three to four, were assigned to construct a concept map showing their…